A&M beats Alabama, prepares for Tennessee

Updated 11:19 am, Friday, February 21, 2014

Photo: Dave Martin, Associated Press

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Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy watches play as Texas A&M forward Jarod Jahns (42) looks on during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Missouri at the Southeastern Conference tournament, Friday, March 15, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) less

Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy watches play as Texas A&M forward Jarod Jahns (42) looks on during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Missouri at the Southeastern ... more

Photo: Dave Martin, Associated Press

A&M beats Alabama, prepares for Tennessee

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COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M had about two hours to enjoy its whipping of Alabama on Thursday night in Reed Arena. Why? The Aggies, scratching to make the postseason, at the time had less than two days to prepare for Tennessee.

“This is a big game for us,” A&M coach Billy Kennedy said of Saturday's rematch with the Volunteers. “We have to be able to put back-to-back good games together — we haven't been able to do that in a while.”

They have — but only on their home court. The Aggies, in looking every bit like a solid postseason squad in Reed, defeated the Crimson Tide 63-48 before 7,089 fans.

That's been the case for their past three games at Reed, all double digit victories over SEC foes (including 72-52 over Mississippi State and 83-73 over LSU). It's the road contests that have kept them down, including a 57-54 head-scratching setback at Vanderbilt on Saturday, when A&M (15-11, 6-7 SEC) blew a double-digit second-half lead.

“That was a tough loss for us, so we just wanted to come out and throw the first punch,” A&M freshman guard Shawn Smith said of facing reeling Alabama (10-16, 4-9). “We wanted to play hard and show everybody that we have a nice team this year.”

The Aggies' nice turns to naughty, however, when the team exits the Brazos Valley, and Kennedy said he chalks that up to primarily one thing: Experience. Or, more accurately, a lack of it for a program with one scholarship senior in guard Fabyon Harris, and he doesn't even start.

“Hopefully we've gained some experience now,” Kennedy said of the season winding down.

Should A&M at least make the National Invitation Tournament, the Aggies likely will need a victory over the Volunteers, who last played on Tuesday (a 67-48 home victory over Georgia) and are 7-6 in SEC play.

The Aggies' once-promising season received an early boost when they prevailed 57-56 at Tennessee on Jan. 11 — but that's proven to be their lone road victory.

Now, Tennessee will be bent on revenge, and A&M will be intent on putting Alabama behind it — just as Kennedy told the Aggies to do late Thursday.